Reviews (page 2 of 9)
8/10 - I was really worried after the first song that it would be too slow for me. But boy was I wrong. This album is really good. Beautiful Fav Tracks: I'll Never Fall In Love Again, Help Heard before? --------–- ❌ Saved a new Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? -------–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? ---––– ✅
Si no fuera por Close to you, no me gustaría. Zafa, deben ser lindas las letras, y es armonioso, pero no me gustó la verdad. Muy de musical algunas, no está mal pero no es lo que esperaba. Algún día le daré otra oportunidad.
Some beautiful songs, but way too saccharine for an album.
I swear that when I heard all these songs played on the radio as a kid, I didn't know they were new releases. I thought they were just part of the canon of good pop music. And so it proved.
Nice easy 70s listening. I’ll always be a huge Karen Carpenter fan. Reason to Believe was hard because I love Rod Stewart’s version sooooooo much more
I think I'll describe this as pleasant send tweek
This sounds like something they’d play in a psychiatric wing to keep everybody calm
This has been an exceptionally soothing way to process a shitty release. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this.
sad and beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lovely 60s acoustic pop songs
9/10
1970 pop We've only just begun Close to you Baby it's you I'll never fall in love again
Seems like a band that's a great example of the greatest hits being the best option. This is fine but really it's just a few great songs and lots of filler
We've only just begun - 9/10 Love is surrender - 8/10 Maybe it's you - 9,5/10 Reason to believe - 7/10 Help - 7/10 They long to be close to you - 9/10 Baby it's you - 8/10 I'll never fall in love again - 9/10 Crescent noon - 10/10 Mr. Guder - 7/10 I kept on loving you - 6/10 Another song - 6/10
What a delightful album! This was my first exposure to the carpenters and I really liked what I heard. The perfect soundtrack while I was making breakfast. I also kept picturing myself sitting by a lake, listening to this album in the early morning as fog rolls across the surface of the water. If only I had the money for a lakeside cabin... 4/5
Surprisingly nice - they murdered "Help" though
Meh
Delightful & boring
cute
I love this album no skips. She has such a beautiful voice and I could listen to this a thousand times (and I have).
A hidden gem that reminded me why I'm doing this. Karen Carpenter may have the best vocals of anyone I've heard on this list so far. I don't think I ever would have found this on my own, but I'm glad to have heard it.
Hmmm... this is a tough one to rank. As far as music I want to listen to, it's a 2 pushing 1. BUT... recognizing it's history, it's quality for what it is, and what I recognize as best of class for the genre, that pushes it way higher. But since I will never go listen to this again, it can not get more than 3.
I really enjoyed this album, it wasnt especially unique or mind breaking, but i thought it was really well written with great vocal and instrumentals. Some really tasteful covers too. I am giving this a 4 star review because i genuinely enjoyed it.
hetero music
A beautiful album
Really great album Obvious classics but I really enjoyed the sidewinder closing tracks from Mr Gruder to Another Song They gave another angle to the album that is brilliantly produced and beautifully composed. A great way to perk up a Thursday afternoon.
Dionne Warwick clears
mooi album, maar soms iets te lief
I have never really gotten into the Carpenters and this has not really changed my view. Its far too saccharine/sentimental and probably suffers from how overused and cliched the big hits have become. I was going to give it a 3 but the cover of Help is terrible and looses it a point.
Close to You I guess you can go one of two ways with the Carpenters, you can either resist the uber-70s schmalzy, saccharine, sentimental smoothness of it all, or you can give in to and enjoy it for Karen Carpenter’s superbly sweet voice, the precisely calibrated arrangements, the excellent playing and overall sense of airy, diaphanous lightness. It’s not perfect however, there is a definite drop off after I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, and I’m unconvinced by the cover of Help, although I do like Why Can’t We Live Together. But, alongside the superb We’ve Only Just Begun the Bacharach songs really shine, particularly the back to back to back Close to You, Baby It's You and I’ll Never Fall In Love Again. The second cover of Reason to Believe on successive albums is also great. Despite that drop off it's a beguilingly easy listen throughout, and a very enjoyable, smooth 70s listen, elevated by Karen’s voice and the excellent production. It’s on the border of 3 and 4 - it’s a very good album, but perhaps one that doesn’t quite linger on the mind long enough afterwards, so I’ll leave it as a high 3. 🔨🔨🔨 Playlist submission: We’ve Only Just Begun
As Sunday afternoon Mum music goes, 'We've Only Just Begun' is an undeniable MoR beaut. Karen's voice is as smooth as the finest silk, with Richard's harmonies en pointe. 'Close to You' turns MoR, with the most saccharine lyrics imaginable, into classic balladry (though impossible to hear without thinking of Partridge). It really is Disney type stuff; you can imagine some grinning dance-troupe twirling umbrellas to it. Through all the MoR and sickly sweetness, Karen's vocal is the amazing constant. It isn't really soul, devoid of any grit, but it has such a smooth tone and perfect clarity. Some may find the Carpenters wooden (hahaha haa), but not me. Her tragic life adds an intriguing sadness. And when she isn't on lead ('I Kept on Loving You'), it's exposed as mawkish pap. The album achieves what it wants with aplomb. Polished orchestration and perfect harmonies are never far away; it could happily play in a dentist's waiting room, yet may also be the apex of the Easy Listening genre.
it just fell a bit flat for me, very much the kind of record you see in every UK charity shop and it sounds like it
Sweet, sophisticated symphonic pop
3.8/5
It was an alright album to wind down the day, maybe not one Ill go back to but nice to have once in a while
Maybe a perfect album? Karen carpenter your voice is golden. You deserved so much better. A generational talent who’s voice would have aged beautifully.
Toneladas de azucar. Close to you es una buena canción y las versiones son edulcoradas. En su época tuvieron éxito.
The reach this album had at the time was huge. Through today's lens, its not much to write home about. That said, I can't deny the success and influence soft, folksy rock duos like this had on music for generations.
Ok
I do not understand this type of music. I know that there are people who like softer music than I do and that's totally understandable but stuff like this and other things that were happening at that time are so rife with platitudes and meaningless sugary romantic nonsense. It has no emotional weight whatsoever. Never mind that it's also musically quite flat it doesn't challenge the senses in any way. I can't imagine wanting to create this at a time when rock and roll was young and punk rock was being born and proto-metal was happening and other exciting and transgressive forms of music were taking the world by storm. Drugstore music.
I mean c'mon, it's Karen and Richard. And Karen. Oh, sweet Karen. This is a classic.
That's the worst Black Metal Album i've ever listened to
Blind album and artist. Actually cool chill soft rock that i liked a few tracks very much so, but the album had some lull.
it's ok for my elderly mom I suppose. I think it's slightly better quality lift music
I can't believe I've heard every one of these songs and didn't know they were all on the same album.
Some great songs but for the most part the sound of the Carpenters sound obsolete.
Some really beautiful vocal harmonies and layering. Reminded me of a musical soundtrack with a pit band (hello flutes and oboes!) accompanying each song; really smooth around the edges and mellifluous. For that reason, though, I also was a little lukewarm on it as a body of work; it’s 70s, instrumental-driven ballad pop, and nothing (besides maybe the last two minutes of “Another Song”) challenges the songwriting formulas it establishes in the first few tracks. Still, a treasure of vocal talent for sure, and it’s an album I can safely say I enjoyed. Strong three. STAND-OUT SONG: “We’ve Only Just Begun” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Mr. Guder”, “Another Song”
I love, love, love this woman's voice. So simple, yet so darn smooth, elegant, effective at conveying emotion. All the other instruments work together to create a pretty simple texture that errs on the side of 60s rather than 70s. There are a few stellar tracks here, but in general the late 60s and early 70s were a time of vast musical upheaval, and in that regard Close To You doesn't really hold up to its contemporaries. Sure, it's rock-solid music, but it isn't all that notable as a benchmark of where music was heading at the time. The production isn't exactly bad, but it's foggy and reminiscent of 40s/50s recording quality. Track by track, though, there really isn't much to fault. No clue who's upvoting all those 1-star reviews (particularly as they make the claim that the music is bad because it's too "white"). Regardless, Close To You deserves much better. We've Only Just Begun acts as an excellent ballad opener. A gradual rise and fall in tension throughout the song is present, bolstered by several key changes at perfect moments, subtly soaring strings, nice harmonies... Plenty of great stuff to talk about. Next up is Love Is Surrender, a brisk, hushed, percussion-driven track with some really strong arrangements. Harmonies, keyboards, drumming, and horns all play their part here, creating an excellent prototype of a song. I call it a prototype because, at under two minutes, it gets tragically cut short. I would've expected a solo or two, perhaps with the drums. Maybe It's You sounds straight out of 50s musical (the strings being the most obvious connection). Great choices of chords to make it feel nostalgic and just a little bit climactic without going overkill. If you know the Carpenters for their hit On Top Of The World, and that kind of easy-listen mix appeals to you, look no further than Reasons To Believe – an ultra-smooth track with no tangible flaws other than sounding cheesy as heck. The cover of help is obviously inferior to the original, mainly because the vocals and overall mix here are a bit... blurry? But it has its own charm. Rhythmic changes in the vocals act as the main point of difference from the Fab Four. Then there's the absolutely breathtaking title track. Man. Talk about finely crafted. I have no words. We turn to side 2, starting with Baby It's You, a pretty darn solid cover. Certainly more dramatic than the original or the Beatles' 1963 version. I like the fact that this song sounds like a reply to the earlier Maybe It's You. I'll Never Fall In Love is innocuously smooth-sounding, as per usual. And normally it'd fade into the general obscurity of "decent Carpenters track". But listen to that bass! Holy pluck! The instrumental near the end, plus the angelic contributions from backing vocals, make the song something pretty special. Then Crescent Noon delivers a choral arrangement in a minor key – Dorian mode – which makes it sound sort of hymnal. Spiritual, certainly. Mr. Guder makes for an exciting change of pace, as does I Kept On Loving You, which is the only song to have John on lead instead of Karen. Sounds kind of like early ABBA. Extremely cheesy, but what can you do? Another Song is fine but relatively unremarkable... until the extended instrumental at the end. Absolutely incredible. That complex, panned drumming? That basswork? Flutes and electric keyboard? Hell yeah. 4/5 Key tracks: We've Only Just Begun, (They Long To Be) Close To You, I'll Never Fall In Love
A pleasant but milquetoast album. I think the list could use more calm, peaceful music, but this one did not impress me nor did it leave much of an impact. Upon reading some of the other reviews on this site, one of them describes this album as "starchy," which seems as apt a description as any. Listening to this album is the musical equivalent of eating Wonder bread. Favorite track: "Crescent Noon" and maybe "Mr. Guder"
Well gosh, this was safe wasn’t it. She does have a lovely voice, makes me feel comfy. Excellent cover of Help on this too. Will I ever want to listen to it again? Probs not. It’s just so safe, inoffensive pop slush.
“I’ve never heard of this group!” I said to myself. Only to be repeatedly proven wrong. I have indeed heard Carpenter’s music before. The unpaid actor this listening was my reaction to hearing “(They Long to Be) Close To You”. How silly to know a song from a viral trend online and finding out the song is over fifty years old. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this album. It’s light, airy, smooth vibes that suit the drive back from work while decompressing. The vocals have a retro harmonization charm. I believe the comparison I made was this music suits an old 80’s animated movie. It’s always odd to feel nostalgic towards a music genre you didn’t grow up on, but that’s the feeling I get listening to this album. 7/1001
Real tepid and twee 1960s pop.
Carpenters are as smooth and harmonious as always.
There are some 4-5* songs on this album, but not enough of them.
A little boring with the covers but still enjoyable.
this might be the saddest album I've ever listened to. In the background, it would be lazy to dismiss this as a bit twee or slow or boring. This is because it demands your full attention. Because in truth, it's cinematic, intricate, complex and full of beautiful melancholy. The flow is perfect, ebbs and flows exactly as you want it to. It takes root in you and stirs nostalgia for a time you weren't even close to existing in. It doesn't have an edge - doesn't need one, that's not the point. I don't know if I would have liked this at the time of release. But in retrospect it's like walking through an abandoned family home. Even that artwork captures the disquiet of a portrait hanging on the wall. It's not a nice beach. It's not a nice day, maybe it was a nice time who can remember - but after all the shit that went down since you were last here, and certainly this is true for the Carpenters siblings next 10-15 years, this photo is quite beautiful. 8 / 10 Best track/s: We’ve only just begun, Crescent Noon, Maybe It’s You, Close To You
This album is very easy to listen to, and I can understand the wide appeal. Karen's voice is buttery and rich and the arrangements that accompany it are good as well. But I think it's mass appeal does bring it down in my opinion, as no songs stood out for me until the last few. The beginning lacked some intrigue, but it was quick and palletable enough to endure it. The cover of Help had my head shoot up, because I didn't expect it at all, but it was fine (I feel that there are very few Beatles covers that are better than the originals). Might listen again, but I think once is enough to get an idea of The Carpenters.
schmaltzy help has that same kind of harmony as is very distinct to reo speedwagon--take it on the run shows it well. mr gruder is actually kinda a bop ya know, schmaltz is delicious. it's smooth and savory and just all around fantastic. but if you cook everything with schmaltz it'd get pretty old and you very well might depart the circles of this world too soon. so i'd recommend against eating too much schmaltz.
Accomplished singer, accomplished drummer! Very tane music but such a pleasure. Love it
Very sappy sweet feel good music. Not bad just not for me. Reading about the Carpenters made me sad… 3/5
My parents must have listened to this album a lot when I was really, really little because listening tapped into memories from a really young age. I don't remember this record being in their collection but several of the songs were part of my late 1970's elementary school choir presentations and things so maybe just a carryover from that. Nostalgia is fun and I realized I really had quite the charmed childhood. Now about the album. The music is pleasant enough, its safe, its familiar; it feels like home. But its also remarkably boring and uninspiring. I enjoy music that motivates me, whether dark, reflective and depressing or driven, complex, or engaging. There is little here beyond nostalgia and reminiscing. So on my scale based on whether I would listen again, this falls squarely in the middle: I wouldn't necessarily change it if it came on, but I wouldn't seek it out either. 3.5
Favourite Songs: • (They Long To Be) Close To You
Liked it but wont listen to it again
Pretty pleasant listen. No takeaways, but was kind to the ears. Not my type of music to jam to, but was pretty good. 3.25 maybe?
Tiene algunos sonidos interesantes
What in the sugary, vapid, sappy, boring, syrupy, milquetoast, saccharine, boring, lifeless, pointless, boring hell is this
Crap
Kind of goes in one ear and out the other.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Føles egentlig som om jeg burde elske det her, fordi det lyder rigtig meget som vintage Weyes Blood eller Natalie Prass. Jeg synes bare det bliver liiiiige pænt nok, og der er for mange middelmådige covers, selvom nogen af arrangementerne er virkelig skønne.
Good covers of some classic songs. Nothing super special. Enjoyable.
Nothing wrong with a bit of wholesome love songs sometimes
I could sleep like a baby with Karen Carpenter singing lullabies to me. The warmth, beauty and calmness of her voice are on full display in the title track as well as We've Only Just Begun. Funny to learn that song came from an ad for a bank. The covers of Help and Baby It's You were not as strong, and some of the others were filler, but this is a nice, easy listen.
Liked this a lot more than I was planning to!
feels like bubblegum in my teeth, not my cup of tea.
Ha, I've heard so many of these songs before in movies. They're alright. Bit too soft rock for my tastes, but there's a lot to like here. Does become a bit like background music though.
Never again
No no no
I don't mind a bit of undemanding 70s AOR from time to time but this is dreadful.
Dreadful, not as dreadful as the very worst of the one stars. Tom.
Well I had no idea that they were responsible for so many songs I like.
Meh. Bland pop. Terrible cover of help! Standout song: Crescent Noon
Hard to tell if I liked this or if I just love Burt Bacharach.
called golden oldies for a reason
Ita quite nice but not very nice
not bad or anything but its just abit boring for me
Great vocals by both members and a lot of unexpectedly fun compositions. As per usual, I like when they get a little strange with it Highlights: "Love is Surrender", "Mr. Guder", "Another Song"
Man...this one was tough to get through.
Okay, I get the need to include the Carpenters in the book. The duo of Karen and Richard Carpenter was one of the most prolific groups in the pantheon of easy-listening music. That much is evident on their second record, Close to You, with songs characterized by Richard's classically trained keyboard playing, Karen's subtle percussion, and the two of them harmonizing their vocals impeccably well. I was genuinely amused by how nuanced Karen's vocal performance was close to the mic, which is likely why she sang most of the tunes. Though not to be outshone by her sister, Richard did a superb job taking the lead on the jaunty harpsichord-driven "I Kept on Loving You". Not to mention, there are a few well-inspired renditions, such as their takes on The Beatles' "Help" and Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". Granted, this album is cheesy to a fault, as many songs follow a pattern to the Carpenters' brand of breezy soft pop, largely centered around the ins and outs of relationships, with few exceptions. Those exceptions would be The Beatles' "Help", about the band's rise to success, and Richard's original tune "Mr. Guder" about the grind of everyday work life, inspired by the siblings' old boss at Disneyland who fired them for playing contemporary songs when they worked at the park. It's certainly a poignant song with a cool background story, but that's a rarity on here. I wouldn't say this record was mindblowing overall. But, I can comfortably say I had a good time with the Carpenters' Close to You. Of course, it sucks to say that the Carpenters' story would end tragically, with the death of Karen due to anorexia, spurred on by the pressures of fame. It's not a pleasant note to go out on, but at the very least, she and her brother left their mark on history with these songs together.
This was very tender Playlist add: "(They Long to Be) Close to You"
No joke, here lies some monster songs from my sweet childhood. I probably had a “thing” for Karen back in ‘70, but there were so many on my puppy-love list. The music is a bit funny and odd now, certainly not unpleasant, but a bit sad. A pity, her death. I think we could’ve been buddies.
гармониииии очень богато, плотно, приятно вокал очень хорош и не надоедает есть динамика и разнообразие есть хитяра хитейший 3.9-4.1
Let’s take inoffensive and turn it up to 11 These guys make just really safe music, where vocals are solid, they don’t try anything too crazy with instrumentation, and lyrics are pretty straightforward. I really don’t think there’s a single thing about this album that actively upsets me or that I’d really change; it kinda executes on its mission perfectly Unfortunately I think as a side effect it does get pretty boring at times. I don’t think there’s any real standouts for me on this album. It’s like the graham cracker of 70s music; not bad on its own but really just nothing to be excited about It’s always kinda interesting to see what constitutes as pure “pop” from older decades, especially as rock kinda dominated everything by this time. I would absolutely not complain if someone put this on in the car but I will certainly not engage with it much
I'm sorry! Close To You gives me feels! I know it's cheesy but why do stars fall down from the sky?????? They want to be close to you!!!! thats so beautiful!!!
I've heard OF these guys but couldn't name any songs off the top of my head. Looking at the cover I'm going with folk rock, maybe a bit poppier. Chick will be the singer. Ok a bit off the mark, mostly pop, almost disco in a way. I can see why it's here on the list, it has that 70s charm to it, couldn't place it in any other time. It makes easy listening sound like heavy metal, but it's pretty relaxed and everyone plays/sings well. Naturally, none of it was written by the band themselves beyond one or two secondary credits for the brother. But that seems to be the norm for bands until like the mid 70s. My main criticism is that it's beyond inoffensive, almost indescribably sickly sweet. In that sense it's aged far more than music 20 years older than it. And for better or worse, it could never survive in the pop music world today. There's no sexual overtones, not an innuendo in sight. It's family variety show fodder, but we don't have variety shows anymore. But swipes at how squeaky clean it is aside, this was an enjoyable listen. Maybe a bit frustratingly, the last minute or so of the last song was the most exciting bit haha.
Was a 4, but it gets kinda boring
karen carpenter has such a beautiful voice - very odd to realize i'm now older than she ever got to be :( i have fond memories of listening to this in the car with my mom as a kid.
this was a great album. i really enjoyed it and probably listened to it like eight times. i don't know any carpenters songs outside of the ones i just discovered here, but i'll definitely revisit this one in the future. favorites: we've only just begun, love is surrender, help, they long to be close to you, crescent noon, mr guder
Folk personified. Almost country-ish. Made me put on Rod Stewart (Reason to Believe)
Oof. I wasn't really into the cheese at first but was willing to give it a shot. The "Help" cover did me in. Interestingly, the band tells on itself in the last few moments; the outro to "Another Song" is the most interesting thing on the record, indicating that they can actually do something surprising and impressive, but apparentlly chose not to.
(38/100)
a first listen. i have heard the title track and I'll Never Fall in Love Again before, but not the rest. Karen's voice is absolutely lovely. i really enjoy the instrumentation as well, but Karen's vocals are the star of the show. favorite track: (They Long to Be) Close to You
such beautiful harmonies and great songs
Was pretty chill! Enjoyed the harmonies. Would like to check out more of their music as I know they had a lot of influence on folk/pop music at the time.
Anyone who likes this forced it
#35 The musical equivalent of plain cheerios with a heap of sugar on top; bland and overly sweet. Karen Carpenter does have a great voice though.
Love these classic albums. Not quite a 5.
RIP Karen. I wasn't particularly in the mood for a happy romance forward album such as this today, but I'm going to try and not let that cloud my judgement. It's very wholesome, nice harmonies, and Karen is an OG.
Wanted to like it more. We’ve only just begun and close to you are obv bangers
I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It was bit of a slow start but they really picked it up in the back half there. Groovy spacey kind of vibe.
Goed maar wordt wat gezapig na een uur
I think the Carpenters are a wonderful band (or maybe duo would be better.) They're like the masters of pop music; truly pop at it's most perfected point. This album is - like I reckon all Carpenters songs are - very delicate and soft and luscious. I think if clouds could make sounds, it would sound like a Carpenters song. I just feel so at peace with these batch of songs. I really like their interpretation of "Help!," very magical and refreshing take on a classic song. Karen is also an amazing drummer, I specifically like the drumming on the songs, "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and "Another Song." All in all, I definitely recommend this album. A solid 4 album. Highlight Song/s: "We've Only Just Begun", "Help!", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and "Mr. Guder"
those bitches knew whats up
Interesting album
Heard Before? Yes, indeed. Notes: - one of the best parts of 1001 is radical tonal shifts from day to day. yesterday i got Korn. - I dare you to tell me there is a better singing drummer than Karen Carpenter. - I've spent my life as a sentimental cheeseball and that's not about to change, so obviously this is right up my alley. - production is immaculate, arrangements are lush and beautifully balanced, songs are intricately composed, with delightful contrasts and transitions. Verdict: Edgeless and glorious, perfect in its own dorky way. Although I should point out this is not the best Carpenters album (that would be "A Song For You"). Listen Again? As much as I love this and will probably give it another spin, I think all the Carpenters most people need is going to be on their Singles 1969-1973 compilation.
Ihan ok, monia hittejä joita tunnisti. Ei ihan omaan makuun kuitenkaan. 3/5.
Easy listening. Too many covers. Nice voice and melodies
I'm kind of surprised to see this rated so low here. Not because I think it's particularly great, I'm not sure if I've even heard the whole thing, but because I always thought the Carpenters were kind of like Fleetwood Mac - they're just one of the bands that everyone is supposed to like. I don't really like Fleetwood Mac, we'll see about the Carpenters but from what I remember this is gonna be sweeter than a candy shop. And yeah that's exactly right. I have a few cavities now for sure. The music isn't bad and there are a few legitimately great songs here, though they didn't write them. And I'm always happy to see a female drummer, I know she didn't play much on the album but she did live and was one of the first well known female drummers. We need more of those for sure. And drumming while singing is pretty awesome. Rating this as a 3/5 because it's not really my thing but I do feel like it was done well and accomplished what they wanted. It is a good album but maybe not one I would listen to much.
Adore Karen Carpenter’s voice and there are some great songs on here, but they are a singles band for me. Listening to a whole album can be a cloying experience with Richard Carpenter’s technically good, but often too syrupy arrangements.
This group probably best of brand and you have to give credit to the harmonies, but the music are sloppy trash. 🤢🤮. Need to listen to some AC/DC or Led Zeppelin to snap me out of the nausea!
I wish I could find some comfort in this music, but I can't. Karen Carpenter's voice is lovely. There are some gorgeous melodies, although Help is misused. Richard Carpenter's arrangements are so tasteful as to be completely tasteless (Oh for the fuzz guitar solo on Goodbye to Love!). However, the one thing that I really can't get over is this: the melody and metre of the phrase "We've only just begun" is established at the top of the album, but the first time the harmonies enter the song, at around 0.32, they sing "we've only begun." What on earth is that about? It's obviously not a mistake - although it does sound like Richard is styling out a stumble - but what then is it for? Why? I'm not sure that I've ever been quite so bothered and bemused by the singing of a title line. 2 Karen Carpenter has a lovely voice, which makes the double-tracking in the first half all the more irksome. It’s not an album with many ideas apart from nice songs cleanly produced - which is grand, I like niceness. I don’t like Close to You though - horrendous lyrics and a key change from Hell. 2/5
A little schmaltzy, but Karen Carpenter’s voice is undeniable.
not really my vibe... her voice is beautiful though weve only just begun - 2/5 love is surrender - 2/5 maybe its you - 2/5 reason to believe - 1/5 help - 1/5 (they long to be) close to you - 2/5 (why do I keep finding meme songs omgggg lol) baby its you - 1/5 ill never fall in love again - 1/5 crescent noon - 1/5 mr. guder - 1/5 i kept on loving you - 1/5 another song - 1/5 15/60 = 2/5
Nice enough I suppose but mostly forgettable until the last track, another song, which is a banger.
An additional star because my Mum used to play this album all the time, and loved it. The most saccharine thing I've ever heard. Uggh.
Wet
Damn, the harmonies are fantastic! Karen Carpenters vocals feel like a warm hug, very nostalgic. Truly a great album!
My mom loved this record when I was a child. I have nothing to criticize because at the time this album was loved by millions of moms and as mentioned in the prior sentence- my mom loved this record. And if my mom loved it, then it must be awesome. Also, my mom was awesome. 5/5
Such a solid record. I am a fan of Richard Carpenter's subtle arrangements, lush orchestrations, keyboard performances next their vocal harmonies and karen's drums and percussion. Such a timeless and excellent pop album. Shame I wasn't born yet to enjoy it when it came out. To anyone who thinks that writing and performing such music is too easy and beige for their egos, I challenge them to try it themselves. It is far harder to write subtlety than it is to power through. Love Hal Blaine's performance on the closer, "Another Song". Favorites: "We've Only Just Begun", "(They Long To Be) Close To You", "Crescent Noon", "Another Song"
it's nice, not too memorable for me tho Will I listen to again: 35%
The definition of easy listening Ill Never Fall in Love Again is a classic. The Help cover is great. Its all good
Karen has a wonderful voice. That's the only outstanding thing about this album. The music is easy listening, nothing memorable.
Led Zeppelin III, The Doors - Morrison Hotel, The Who - Live at Leeds, Crosby Stills & Nash - Deja Vu, The Beatles - Let It Be, Black Sabbath - Paranoid. These are just a few of the great albums that came out in 1970. But this fucking Carpenters album came out the same year, proving that throughout history, there have been people with zero taste in music making, producing and listening to it when good alternatives exist. Where was that "disco sucks" DJ when we needed him? He should have rallied against this bubblegum crap instead of disco, which is at least danceable. If your dentist's office plays a Muzak version of this, find a different dentist.
Liked this!
was looking forward to this, the title track was in my current rotation for a while before this and i love what frank ocean did with it too. karen's voice is so beautiful, didn't know she was the drummer too... rip karen you were so cool
I quite liked this album. The vocals were very easy to listen to.
They do have good vocals and harmonies. Couple of good songs on the album, but nothing too exciting.
You know what you are going to get
It’s fine. They sound good, it’s just pretty plain and boring imo.
Coming off the atrocious Kanye album yesterday-this is a breath of fresh air. Musically it’s nothing too exciting, but Karen has an amazing voice. Lot of depth & control
Not the best Carpenters album really. I find the Carpenters music interesting for how sad it is, and this one was a bit jolly for me. Karen Carpenter has, for me, perhaps the greatest voice of all time. Richard was also there. I'd have had Horizon or Now and Then or A Song For You on this list instead.
It’s not bad, but it is cheesy.
Fine!
This was like slipping into a diabetic coma, I was really struggling to make it through this cloying mess, but then the last two minutes of the last track it turned into a jazz fusion record and I forgave some of the worst parts of the proceeding 35 minutes, elevating my 1 star to a 2 star at the crucial point.
Some bangers but also some that don't hold up as well.
Fuck the haters. Karen is a queen
The only song I really liked turned out to be a Beatles song. If they wrote the songs I might rate it higher, but it is just a boring cover album.
Highlights: We've Only Just Begun. In a nutshell: nice. Perhaps too nice? I've always seen The Carpenters as a singles band who leaned in too hard on the wholesome pop angle. It's not to say that Karen and Richard Carpenter are inept and a difficult listen. Richard was a competent pianist. He had his hand at composition and arranging before this album through the mentorship of Herb Alpert while at A&M (yep, Tijuana Brass Band guy). This continued with subsequent albums. Karen is the standout of the duo. Karen had a be-au-ti-ful voice. Another voice that encapsulated the early 70s. Karen made the Hal David and Burt Bacharach song Close to You blossom from a rosebud into a rose garden. She was a great drummer too. The fact is, Karen deserved better. She was forced to play the game of shrinking (no pun intended) as a musician and as a person so the Carpenters could be a success. As an album, Close to You has two great singles, competent playing throughout but you don't really remember the other songs. I would have liked to know what tracks Karen played on and Hal Blaine (of The Wrecking Crew) played on. All that said, I recommend finding the tribute album "If I Were A Carpenter". If you’re not won over by Shonen Knife covering Top of the World, you may need to evaluate your opinion on pop music. Overall: 3/10
Always easy listening
I bit we biased, but it starts swell. Smoothest voice. Solid 4 stars.
zzzz
We’ve Only Just Begun // Close To You // I’ll Never Fall In Love Again // Crescent Noon // 3.5/5
She can sing, but it's all ballads and strings. Dated sound that thankfully had a 4-5 year shelf life and guitars came back into style. Everyone knows the two hits on here, like 'em or not. But there's no one talking up The Carpenter's game today, that sound died with them. 2 stars
Very mild. Bordering bland.
This music has almost become a cliche. It’s like a saccharine headache. It is so, so well done. This is all analogue, no digital tricks in sight. The vocals are spotless and she is such a good vocalist, the instruments and arrangement also. But overall it leaves me a little cold, a bit disengaged. Sure the familiarity with certain tracks gives a warm glow but it’s so, so smooth. It’s almost frictionless. Best summed up by the cover of Help! A pop song that is a call for, well help is rendered into a smooth, albeit well sung, but nevertheless schmooze sugar rush fest. Can’t give it lower than 3 because it’s so well done and such a part of western culture but can’t give it any higher because it’s just so sweet. 3 Star
A sweet voice but as an album I found it pretty dull
I really liked this. The songs are so lush and beautiful. The lyrics are pretty thoughtful. The cover of Help is better than it should be. It's more upbeat than I thought music-wise.
Rv
I might be in a good mood, but this was comforting
While I recognize the Carpenters' name as this huge beast at the beginning of the modern music industry, my brain wasn't matching the name with the projects so this was a fun album to get into. It took a few minutes to realize what the title track was, and it's a beautifully composed piece that I love to hear different covers of, it's possibly one of my favorite standards. On that note, I respect a lot of these songs because of the direct inspiration so many decades afterwards, versions that are definitely better than the ones in this album. I actually find it funny that one of my favorite tracks here was their cover of the Beatles' Help! The rest of the album does great keeping a style and concept, even though I could see it being annoyingly dated. I think I like it because it's like a low sodium version of Sergio Mendes. At the end of the day it's a very enjoyable track list. I don't know if I'd buy the record if I had it in front of me.. 3.65/5
Released in August 1970, *Close to You* was the Carpenters' breakthrough album, transforming them from a modest A&M act into one of the defining pop phenomena of the 1970s. The record captures the duo at the precise moment they refined their signature sound: lush, meticulously arranged soft pop built around Karen Carpenter's contralto voice and Richard Carpenter's ornate orchestrations. --- ### Lyrics & Themes The album's thematic center is romantic idealism—longing, devotion, and the promise of new beginnings. The title track, "(They Long to Be) Close to You," is essentially a love poem built on whimsical imagery ("Why do birds suddenly appear / Every time you are near?"), delivered with a sincerity that prevents the lyrics from collapsing into pure kitsch. "We've Only Just Begun," originally written for a bank commercial, became an anthem of marital optimism, its lyrics framing love as an open-ended journey rather than a destination. The original compositions by Richard Carpenter and lyricist John Bettis reveal more nuanced emotional territory. "Maybe It's You" explores tentative vulnerability—"Maybe it's you, maybe it's me / Maybe it's just the weather"—while "Mr. Guder" functions as a surprisingly pointed satire of corporate conformity, inspired by a Disneyland supervisor who fired the duo for playing unauthorized songs. "Crescent Noon" and "Another Song" venture into more abstract, almost melancholic territory, suggesting the emotional complexity beneath the album's polished surface. The covers are selected with thematic coherence. Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe" introduces a note of wounded skepticism into the romantic landscape, while the Bacharach/David compositions ("Close to You," "Baby It's You," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again") anchor the album in the sophisticated pop tradition of the 1960s. --- ### Music & Production Richard Carpenter's production and arrangements are the album's architectural foundation. He constructed what would become the Carpenters' sonic blueprint: multi-tracked vocal harmonies, prominent piano and Wurlitzer electric piano, layered string arrangements, and carefully placed brass accents. The flugelhorn solo by Chuck Findley on the title track—often mistaken for Herb Alpert—adds a distinctive melancholy color that elevates the arrangement beyond standard pop fare. The production is characterized by its **immaculate cleanliness**. Every element is precisely placed: Karen's voice sits close to the microphone, creating an almost conversational intimacy; Richard's backing vocals provide harmonic padding without competing for attention; the rhythm section (featuring session legend Hal Blaine on drums) maintains a steady, unobtrusive pulse. This was studio craftsmanship at its most refined—music designed to sound effortless through immense effort. The album's structural diversity prevents monotony. "Love Is Surrender" incorporates jazz-inflected piano and alternating lead vocals between Richard and Karen. "Another Song" closes the album with an extended, multi-sectional composition featuring sophisticated chord changes and what one reviewer described as a "snazzy, jazzy multi-part odyssey" that showcases Karen's drumming abilities. The Beatles' "Help!" is radically reimagined with rock organ and choral elements—a polarizing choice that some critics found inspired and others considered saccharine. --- ### Influence & Legacy *Close to You* established the template for 1970s soft rock and adult contemporary music. The album's commercial success—propelled by two million-selling singles—demonstrated that meticulously produced, harmony-rich pop could dominate the charts even as rock music grew heavier and more aggressive. The Carpenters' influence extends across multiple generations and genres. Their harmonic approach influenced indie pop, and the 1990s saw a critical reappraisal driven by alternative rock figures like Sonic Youth and filmmakers such as Todd Haynes. The *If I Were a Carpenter* tribute album (1994) featured alternative artists covering their material, confirming their status as something more than mere easy-listening fodder. As one reviewer noted, the album "proved that even something that could be classified as 'poppiest of the pop' could be amazing." The record also holds tragic historical weight. The perfectionism that defined the album's sound—the polished surfaces, the controlled emotions—would later be read as ironic counterpoint to the siblings' private struggles with addiction (Richard) and anorexia (Karen). This biographical shadow has complicated critical reception, with some listeners finding the music's brightness either deeply moving or unsettlingly artificial depending on their awareness of what followed. --- ### Pros - **Karen Carpenter's voice**: Her contralto remains one of the most distinctive and technically accomplished instruments in pop history—warm, precise, and emotionally resonant without theatrical excess. - **Arrangement sophistication**: Richard Carpenter's orchestrations balance accessibility with musical complexity, particularly on tracks like "Another Song" and "Mr. Guder." - **Song selection**: The covers (Bacharach/David, Tim Hardin, Beatles) are chosen to showcase the duo's interpretive strengths while maintaining thematic unity. - **Production values**: The recording quality and mix clarity set standards for the era; the intimacy of the vocal sound remains impressive. - **Cultural impact**: Two of the 1970s' most enduring pop standards ("Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun") originated here. ### Cons - **Emotional uniformity**: The album's relentless gentleness can feel claustrophobic; as critics have noted, there is "absolutely no edge," which may alienate listeners seeking grit or tension. - **Cover-heavy tracklist**: With only four original compositions, the album sometimes feels more like a curated collection than a fully realized artistic statement. - **Dated sonic signifiers**: The heavy use of Rhodes piano and specific string arrangements firmly anchors the album in 1970, which can read as either nostalgic charm or sonic limitation depending on taste. - **The "Help!" cover**: The reimagining of the Beatles classic remains divisive—some find it inventive, others consider it a misfire that exemplifies the album's tendency toward excessive sweetness. - **Lyrical simplicity**: The romantic idealism that defines the album can read as naive or shallow, particularly to contemporary ears accustomed to more complex emotional expression in pop music. --- *Close to You* is ultimately a study in refined craft over raw innovation. It doesn't break new ground so much as perfect existing territory—the intersection of Brill Building songwriting, Bacharach-style sophistication, and California studio precision. Whether that perfection represents pop artistry at its peak or a gilded cage of emotional restraint depends largely on the listener's tolerance for beauty without abrasion. What remains undisputed is the album's historical significance: it captured a sound that would define an era, for better and occasionally for worse.
soothinly bland, in a good way.
Loved it, very nice music to do office work to
Really well arranged. A few fun covers. Good album closer. All that said, feels like music for people that don't do drugs. 3.5 rounded up
Talented and skillfull - if a bit bland - music. Karen can really sing, the harmonies are cool, good mix of songs, but left me wanting a little more. I'll go 3.5 with a round down.
About as twee as I expected. Songs for mums
gotta say, me gusto el writing de i'll never fall in love again como que no me encanto el cover de help, pero a la vez me daba cuenta que estaba tapping my foot y lo estaba siguiendo entonces no sé eh, el solo del final si me gustó
Flugelhorn. Oboe solo. Flute. The plushest deepest shag carpet of backing harmonies ever produced in the 70s. Honestly, not all the songs are great songs, but some are stone classics if you can enjoy them past the production. For someone who prefers the sound of a band playing live and loose, that might not be easy. The most remarkable thing though: the album closer, "Another Song," is an surprisingly weird song that seems to have come by its weirdness honestly. It definitely grabbed my attention, and I liked it. I can't speak to whether this is the best Carpenter's album to represent them on a list of Must Listens, but at least one of them does, and the one that has "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun" definitely fits. You can't know what AM radio was like in the 70s without them.
Good album. Karen was such a soul.
I love her voice, very calm and pleasant music. Not too much to my taste, but I really appreciate it for what it is. Favorite song: (they long to be) close to you
Close To You really gets to me. I'm totally conflicted. On one side, it's undeniably amazing pop, and Karen Carpenter's voice? Seriously beautiful, haunting, and warm. The harmonies and melodies are just so soothing, especially on the hits. And there are even some cool moments where they try something different, like "Mr. Guder" or "Another Song," which are pretty cool. But then, it's also *so* sugary and overdone. It's like elevator muzak on repeat, too safe and bland. The music just suffocates any edge, especially their "Help!" cover, which is a disaster. So yeah, it's a frustrating listen, a testament to a great voice trapped in some seriously boring 70s arrangements. Also, while I'm here, Karen Carpenter was a killer drummer, top 5 of all time, but here she's been caged and forced to sing... Damn shame
So far from the spectrum of my music limitless love, I can't stand it. At least I know my hard limit in music and it's this album.
Gets a lil weird and wild near the end. Before that it’s sweet 60s/70s pop classics. Great harmonies. Maybe a little too cute for me.
Cheesy as heck and that’s why I like it.
Timeless classic Wonderful voice from ms carpenter and creative drumming
I adore Karen Carpenters voice. There is so much emotion and fluidity in her performances. However, I was never a fan of any Carpenters albums. There isn’t any cohesiveness. I should get he greatest hits however. This record contains “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “(They Long To Be) Close To You” which are fantastic! The rest is forgettable.
Couple of hits on here that I didn't expect. Usually when I get an artist I'll be on their Spotify and read their bios. Here they mention that Karen's arrangements in the music were usually stellar and I have to agree, she really layered this nicely with a lot going on. Good voice, good drumming (I know that's largely her too). Fine album
Karen's got a great voice ("Merry Christmas, Darling" is one of my favorite Christmas songs, and it's because of her), but mostly this is just a lesser version of someone like the Free Design, doing covers that never approach the levels of the originals.
Impeccably soft
Amazing
This just isn’t for me. I can appreciate how polished and well-made it is, but the style and sound do absolutely nothing for me.
Meh
I have heard some of these songs a ton of times just through pop culture and I never knew they were performed by the Carpenters. It's not bad, pretty easy to listen to. Kind of reminds me of Joni Mitchell. The singer has a great voice that seems well trained. The music is kind of generic but works well for this type of album. Might not be something I would listen to regularly but if I am relaxing it would be nice to put on to set the mood.
I get that it's a good album, but it's one I feel I need to be in a certain vibe to properly enjoy, and I'm just not in that state right now.
I see everything now.
What a beautiful album. Sounds like it is made for a fairytale
Despite how cheesy it sounds sometimes, the harmonies are on point you have to admit that.
2.5/5
Lush harmonies. Some arrangements brilliant, others not to my liking.
Great songwriting and vocals from the Carpenters, a little twee perhaps, but the songs are so memorable. Although Richard was an accomplished writer the album is almost entirely covers, but it gave them their big commercial break.
she has a lovely voice but thats it. Too sweet and sugary to enjoy.
Is what it is. Voices are pleasant and inoffensive. Just a bit cheesy and fluffy, isn't it? No complaints but I wouldn't want to be seen listening to it. And I wouldn't pick it.
90% of this list is albums that aren’t worth listening to at all.
Compositions are great for the genre. Vocals and harmonies and musicianship are top notch. Karen Carpenter is actually a pretty great drummer. All that being said, this 70s cheese is just a little too much for me. So bad...
I listened and even with an open mind, the record is pretty blah outside of the singles which I don't really like all that much either. This is another AM radio filter record and I've got a hard time with those, for the most part.
En hirveästi saanut irti. Ihan hyvä taustalla.
Sure Karen has a great voice but tbh I’d be happy just hearing the hits on this album once or twice a year. Don’t need to hear any of the other songs again, particularly the Help abomination.
Album #87, Carpenters, Close to You, ⭐⭐ Sorry folks, this did nothing for me. I don’t really like easy listening music, and while I don’t mind people like Burt Bacharach, and I know some of these songs are stone cold classics that I’ve heard loads of times before, they’re just not songs I tend to gravitate towards. It’s another one of those albums where the execution is pretty great, so I can’t really fault it on a technical level. The musicianship is strong, the vocals are very good, but the style is just so twee and light and airy that it doesn’t have the bite, grit, or emotional heft that I look for in music. No more so than on one of my all time favourite songs, “Reason to Believe”. I’d never actually heard Carpenters do it before. I love Tim Hardin’s original version, and I especially love Karen Dalton’s version. It’s a particularly sad song with a bleak lyric about being led on by a lover. The Carpenters do a nice arrangement of it, but there’s just no emotional weight to it. It feels too light for what the song is trying to say, and I actually ended up disliking this version quite a bit. That kind of sums up my issue with the whole album. It just feels too soft, and I don’t really get anything out of it emotionally. So it’s a two star for me. It’s clearly well made, but it just doesn’t connect with me at all.
Música suave, agradable, fácil. Voz nítida. Buen álbum.
Lovely Karen Carpenter- what a waste…..such beautiful harmonies, great album, we could’ve enjoyed so much more
really solid project, very emotional tunes supported by amazing arrangements and vocal performances the melodies flow so well, nobody is trying to do too much, the percussions keep simple and steady grooves and the brass and strings give some dimension when needed, but the sum of the parts achieves a truly accomplished sound
Karen Carpenter's voice is amazing. The songs are ok, instrumentation at times feels a bit cheesy, but maybe this was the genesis of such cheese. There are a few amazing songs on this record, so I can appreciate it, particularly `Close to You`, but its just not really my bag, but this record does belong on the list.
Karen Carpenter had a gorgeous voice. She was also a great drummer. Doesn't mean I want to listen to this shit. Blegh.
Þetta fannst mér bara prýðileg skemmtun, sérstaklega tökulögin. Mér finnst reyndar nafnið á hljómsveitinni blekkjandi en það er allt annað mál. Mjög fín plata.
Karen is one of my favorite female vocalist of all time, easy. I had 3 copies of this record when I first started my collection (collected anything that was $1) and god damn is her lore so sad. Close to you is the stuff they play in mom stores at the mall. I’m looking at you Von Maur. It’s got such an elegant vibe, but there’s just nothing memorable here other than her amazing voice. It’s a super easy listening pop record, and I really like the Beatles cover. I don’t need to even mention the opener, we all know that one. Banger as well.
I stayed after writing my last review and wow so excited for this. So easy and fun to listen to. There is not much else to say. The instrumentation carries as it should. The beatles cover is fun. The highlight is Another song and Mr Guder. This is just so fun and I want to listen to this under the sun on a summer evening with friends.
I listened to his album for the first time half a year ago after picking up a cheap copy in decent condition at a record fair. The vocals are just so good on it, and they do their renditions very well. The title track is such a classic and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. We've Only Just Begun is another great one. Such a talented duo.
70s soft rock. Lovely but also slightly cheesy. Smooth and gentle.
Not my vibe from
Classic hits. ★★★★
It's so smooth I have nothing to sink my teeth into. Very much background music, though nicely done.
Simple songs, beautifully sung. Had forgotten the Bacharach/David connection but makes total sense.
Persoonlijk niet mijn ding
Talk about smooth 1970s.
I guess I could call the Carpenters "vanilla" and leave it at that. But, in the words of songwriter Paul Williams, "what an exquisite flavor vanilla is".
This is a really lovely album. They have suffered a lot over the years with a stigma of being MOR but this is beautiful.
Absolutely gorgeous ballads with very real lessons to learn about love for those with their hearts open. Standouts are We’ve only just begun, (They Long To Be) Close To You, I Kept On Loving You and Another Song.
Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Alright - We've Only Just Begun is a lovely song. The rest seems a bit tepid. Reason To Believe can't get anywhere close to the Rod Stewart version and the Beatles cover is interesting but not for me. Close To You is nice. I quite like this version of Baby It's You. The singles are clearly the highlights here but I think as an album it just doesn't hold up.
Another addition to the 'popular album made up of covers to make sure the record companies cared' - their original works are much better and less smatlzey, but I guess without the Bacharat, it would have sunk without a trace like their first album.
Nice songs, cheesy cover of help. 3.5, but must’ve been big when it came out
To say I was apprehensive going into this one would be putting it mildly. We all know "(They Long To Be) Close To You", and it's hard to know what to make of it. It's a very good song, very well written, truly iconic even. Burt Bacharach was onto something when he wrote it for sure, but it's also so cheesy and saccharine... I'm also familiar with "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", although only The Whitlams' cover of it (which is great by the way, check that out). So I'm going in, not sure whether to expect a whole album of the same cheesy, cringey 70's easy listening (spoiler alert, it was), and whether or not that will be a bad thing (spoiler alert, it wasn't). I did my best to actually engage with the music from the start and take it seriously, and what I found was strong writing, clever arrangements, beautiful harmonies and pleasant listening. This is a great album if you can get past your own preconceptions and surrender to the vibe. No question it deserves to be on the list.
Exactly what I thought it was. Easy breezy earlyish folk. 6/10
Album 179. Close To You (https://open.spotify.com/album/5z8MFnoVUIfVo6MQW0uIul?si=Dv39Zq3dR2KL_B8O8j6wjA) — Carpenters (1970) If there exists music that leads to diabetes, that's exactly this music. Karen's voice is magnificent, but the music overall is too sweet 2/5 No liked songs
Lovely record. The harmonies, song structures, Karen's vocals, along with the drumming and the covers. A must!
I have always found The Carpenters such a sad band, fit their story, not their music, so this was a difficult listen for me.
Banger opener but the rest sounded like auto tuned covers
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this
Was looking forward to this but beyond the hits it’s a bit dull
I hear Karen Carpenter was a great drummer. You'd never know how boring this album is. Not only do the songs have no life to them, but add in the typical 70s over-production, meant to snag that precious AM airplay, and you get an un-listenable mess. 1 1/2 stars
It's fine, just sounds very dated 56 years later. Mr. Guder is a pretty cool song!
Some good songs but a bit cheesy.
Well now, The Carpenters. The epitome, if not the very definition of, easy listening. There is nothing here that is objectionable in any way, shape or form. Its just so nice. And there in lies it's problem. It's too nice. Karen had an amazing voice, and Richard was a consummate musician. But there is nothing here to go "Oh, Wow!" about. This is a great album, with some brilliant songs, performed excellently. And probably deserves a 4. But..... It is just too middle of the road, sorry I just can't go higher than 3 (and I'm wondering about that).
The Carpenters still make my mum smile and sway in her chair. My lovely Mum has advanced dementia and her world must be terrifying. Yet, some music still reaches her. The Carpenters manage to give her some happiness, so they deserve all of my stars.
Why do birds suddenly appear? Probably because it's about to nick your ice cream at the seaside. Where do I start with this 70's phenomenon? Do I like this? Sort your self out. What, I liked it? Well maybe a bit. Was it nostalgia? Possibly fibromyalgia. That doesn't explain what I stayed awake through it. You enjoyed it really didnt you? I cannot possibly comment.
It’s not that it’s bad, not exactly, just not my type.
Very nice
i was real iffy on this until i got to some of the tracks near the end, which feature more earnest vocals and fun arrangements. the first 3/4 of this album are too mellow — overly inoffensive. but i still enjoyed.
I don't always love the directions these songs go but the arrangements are so pretty that I enjoy them regardless Fav track: We've Only Just Begun
Ключиком ко мне оказался кавер на Beatles.
una joyita
Tons of 60s singles but a little to lite for me.
I know, I know, her voice is divine, their songs are absolute classics... But this was never my music of choice, it's to lame and boring and just makes me wanna sleep and I don't know, maybe I am just an horrible person but who cares? Listen to this before I die? Nope, I'll pass ;-)
We've Only Just Begun - 3.5/5 Love is Surrender - 3/5 Maybe It's You - 3/5 Reason to Believe - 2.5/5 Help - 3.5/5 (They Long to Be) Close to You - 4/5 Baby It's You - 3/5 I'll Never Fall in Love Again - 3/5 Crescent Noon - 3/5 Mr. Guder - 2.5/5 I Kept On Loving You - 3/5 Another Song - 3/5 The instrumentation and production of this album is phenomenal. My only problem is that it is leaning way too much towards a Muzak aesthetic (or that I just don't really like adult contemporary/easy listening). Perfectly fine but not for me. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: (They Long to Be) Close to You
найс, вайбово, понравились многоголосья.
Milk toast music.
Great voice, but blaaaaaaaaaaaaand...
Feel 8/10: Amazing. It’s sad but hopeful and morning Length 8/10: Respectable and honestly the best length for an album Musicality 9.5/10:Some of the best musically I know Flow 9/10: Songs blend perfectly and loops Understandability 8/10: Sadness because love is hard and difficult to come to. Amazing story Overall 95/10: I love this album
Deeply nostalgic memories of the 1970s swirl around this one. In the 80’s it was cool for punk rockers to hate this kind of music but after reading that Sonic Youth were big fans my opinion softened up. Kim Gordo. References Karen many times in her work and listening to the lyrics they are all kind of dark and unhappy. Weird for bubblegum soft rock. Considering she starved herself to death I think she was filled with pain that no one understood. I just wish it was more 60’s folky and less 70’s violins and breezy production
What a nice surprise. I’d only heard the hits and I thought they were a sappy 60’s band. But she is an incredible drummer and the arrangements are perfect. And the lyrics are so dark! No wonder many modern bands cover them; it’s great music
So much sadder than I’d realized. After I finished this album I went back and listened to the ‘94 cover album with Sonic Youth and Sheryl Crow and Babea in Toyland. I wonder if Karen Carepenter wouldn’t have been better suited for a noisy 90’s band- as a drummer and a singer. But alas, her mental illness would have been chasing her either way.
Amazing album, Karen's voice cannot be replicated, and she embodies the feeling so well. These set of songs feel lovely and joyful, yet with such hits as Close To You and We've Only Just Begun makes this one a legendary one.
Great album and lovely songs. Karen Carpenter was exceptional. I have a soft spot for this album, very sweet and melancholic. “And to prove to myself that this is the end… I taped this over our wedding video… Bye Homie…” - Marge Simpson WHY DO BIRDS SUDDENLY APPEAR
I found this album to be quite refreshing, as it's altogether quite different to what we've had thusfar Very heavy on the lyrics, which for me is a big downside. It's sickly sweet, like eating too much sugar Some lovely piano, in general the change in instrumentation is a welcome one even if it's just not my style of music. The more melancholic stuff like "Crescent Noon" is more interesting to me, though an honourable mention goes to "Mr Guder" for being jazzy (even if I don't like the song much) It's far from unlistenable, but I don't think I ever would again
Didn't really like this. It isn't my vibe at all. If this review was objective id mabye give it a 3 cuz I can tell its not bad but for me it's a 2. I just didnt feel a thing while listening.
tldr: in a lot of these songs i hear influence from/on musical theatre and i love it (im sure there are some direct links but i aint researching). love her voice, instrumentatio (esp the woodwindssss), and harmonies. really love it and i think some of these songs will join my playlists. If this album was a musical it would be one of my top musicals. i will listen to more of the carpenters! We've only just begun - lovely beautiful. lovely voice. touching in a 'song u sing when u leave school/club/move away'. sort of song i would cry to if i heard it at the wrong (right?) time love is surrender - fun and summery. almost a little bossa nova which i can get behind? maybe it's you - another beautiful theatre kind of ballad. she has such a nice voice that i don't worry about not enjoying listening to it. love the instruments i am a sucker for oboe and the likes (i think it's an oboe). GOD her voice is beautiful reason to believe - this kind of song reminds me a little bit of stuff my dappa (grandad) would listen to rip dappa. Maybe i will cry listening to this album Help - ehh... Close to you - another ballad that could be in a musical.. I actually had to check if there was a musical that this was in. beautiful harmonies Baby it's you - OBOE... I'll never fall in love again - THIS IS IN A MUSICAL! promises, promises. We got proposed it for eusog once. i liked this take, a little bossa nova vibes again. like just a eensy weensy bit. Crescent moon - maybe the name is influencing me but im feeling the witchy/Victorian/graveyard vibes of this song. it also reminds me of something that i can't put my finger on - some like ancient celtic/European ritual ahh vibes. probably could be on Eurovision Mr guder - okay we're having some fun! i like it I kept on loving you - cute! Another song - you can probably guess what I'll say about this song. it could be in a musical. okay maybe the interlude is a little funky wah wah and it's a very strange way to end a beautiful album but it's okay. Fine. I don't care. Whatever.
just not my thing it's clearly well-written, well-performed and well-produced. but this type of music I just find so corny and I don't enjoy it it's getting a 3 because it is good from an objective standpoint and I don't find it abrasive at all - if it were playing in the background in a shop or in a movie I wouldn't be put off, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it And rest in peace karen carpenter I think also their music depresses me because it makes me think about her favourite song: mr guder
I haven't consciously listened to the Carpenters before but there's a lot of songs on here I've heard before. Definitely a classic sound. I would listen to these songs again in a lounging context, I think its really good at what its doing. The music is so fun and lively and the vocals are nice and soft
"The Carpenters" just make me sad, and have since my dad told me the story of Karen Carpenter when "You've Only Just Begun" (which I think was played at my parents' wedding) was on the radio. Plus, does Richard Carpenter (whose first name I had to look up) do less than John Oates?
Great vocals and very tragic backstory. But this was both my first and last time listening to this album.
A nice pop record - it all feels well known, even though I’ve only heard the hits before
In addition to Karen Carpenter's gorgeous, crystal-clear voice--one of the best ever in pop music--these songs have great, timeless arrangements, including some unexpected Swingle Singers-type stuff, and a virtuosic flute solo at the end of the last track.
Extremely not my shit
Cheesy. Bad covers
a classic
So many great tunes on this album!
Karen has one of the most beautiful voices ever. I’m less crazy about a lot of the instrumentation on this album.
Day826 -oh lord this is softer than baby poo.
Ok, fully admit I'm one of those annoying people who didn't really take The Carpenters seriously until Sonic Youth told me to. Nevertheless, Karen. What a voice! And to sing like that while playing drums! She is my favorite interpreter of the Bacharach-David songbook (sorry Dionne!), and nowhere is she stronger than Close To You. Such a sad story. I feel like you can hear her melancholy in every note she sings, but I may be superimposing that. And that's my privilege! These are my ears, after all. But try as I might, I cannot forgive Karen's haircut in the cover photo. One thing I know for sure is that whoever cut her hair has the last name of Carpenter. But they forgot the carpenter's credo: measure twice, cut once! Sorry Karen, I love you, but your bangs look like shit. Also, minus 1.375 stars for the backing tracks. It is no mistake that despite multiple waves of 1970s pop music nostalgia in the time since, these syrupy sweet, overwrought dentist office musical arrangements and orchestrations haven't been championed or even toyed with by the next generation.
Although I *really* don't enjoy easy listening/pop music like this, this was clearly a very popular album and helped make them into a big name; despite knowing they were loved worldwide, it's still shocking to read that their albums sold over 100 million units. It might have been more interesting if more than a third of the album was actually (co-)written by a Carpenter, but I'm not sure that was the point, and their two big hits (both by other songwriters) kind of dominate everything else. Funny to read that Ma Carpenter was angry that Karen didn't get to play the drums for the album, though, and even funnier to read that "Mr. Guder" referenced Richard Carpenter's and John Bettis' boss at Disneyland who fired them because they kept playing modern tunes when park customers requested them. (Also not at all surprising to find out "We've only just begun" started off as a bank jingle.) But overall, this really didn't work for me, and I'm not sure I needed to hear the rest of this album beyond their very familiar singles.
No idea why we'd get this album instead of the one with "Superstar" and "Rainy Days and Mondays" on it.
I have never liked the music of the Carpenters, but now 200 albums in this project has opened my mind in a lot of ways so I went into this with the intent of listening with new ears. My opinion was not changed. I get why people like this music - there is a reason this kind of music is called "easy listening". This is nothing more than an album of cover songs, arranged to be as easy and unchallenging (and uninteresting) to listen to as possible. I felt a bit like I was in a Marriot lounge in Topeka on a Wednesday night. The most egregious example has to be Reason to Believe, given the stark counterpoint the Rod Stewart version offers, but every song on this album has as little soul and character as this example. Sorry to be so harsh, but for me it is just an utter waste of the clear talent that the Carpenter siblings possessed. Again, I get enjoying this album - there's a lot of vapid pop that entertains me, not all music has to be more complex. But there is something offensive to me about this album - there is just a determination to remove what is most powerful about music.
Utterly fucking boring
lame
Sweet. 3.5
6.0/10 Too sappy for me...
Crescent Noon and Another Song are interesting but everything else is just sorta fine. Karen has a lovely voice though.
A ham sandwich, ready salted packet of crisps and a bottle of water
the purest level of 1970s pop music. gentle, lovey-dovey and very tranquil music that could honestly play through any local fm radio station even today, public places, restaurants, stores... carpenters prove that even something that could be classified as "poppiest of the pop" could be amazing. there's a certain level of emotion that triggers in all sorts of people when they listen to the carpenters. a month ago at my old job, a song by the carpenters played and an older gentleman who i was interacting with quietly cried a bit as he listened. there will be no other musical group as beautiful and as melancholy as the carpenters.
Beautiful voice. Really good production. It's a bit like eating cake. It really sweet at first but eventually you know you've eaten too much and don't want any more. 3 stars
(4.5) Every song is so lush and lyrical it feels like a choral performance, and the instrumentation feels like a dream. I think I could listen to this album for days. Favs: Title track, Only Just Begun, Love is Surrender, Reason to Believe, Kept On Loving You
Beautiful harmonies
zajebiste, ta typiata ma taki ladny glos, nie w moim guscie co prawda ale slicznie spiewa i takie przyjemne melodyjne te piosenki
It was OK. Nothing really stood out to me, but it was all pretty chill. Overall, I would give this a 3.4/5!
my first no skip album so far !
Pleasantly nostalgic.
Honestly think I'm preferring A Song For You. This one really only has (They Long to Be) Close To You as far as stuff that really interests me. Everything else is fine, but not really doing much for me. Too easy listening.
Another one. Another album I acknowledge the beauty and talent of, but really do not want to listen to, and probably won't listen to again. Sorry
A good album, I liked We've Inly Just Begun, Help and (They Long To Be) Close To You the most.
It looks like Nicole, it sounds like Nicole, but it's not.
Love Karen Carpenter’s control of voice, the instrumentation is great. When you get layups like Beatles, Bacharach and Williams songs to cover so so softly it’s hard not to like . We’ve Only Just Begun is a great song
Tuneful but a bit boring
very carpenters no doubt
I like the vibe of the Carpenters, some of the slower songs lost me, but Karen's voice is still amazing and carries the album. Favorite Track - We've Only Just Begun Least Favorite Track - Crescent Noon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lovely Album, Karen Carpenter's drumming is ace
While Karen Carpenter's voice was delightful, the album was too sweet to really have much personality. Something great to listen to if you want no edges.
Ei ollut mun makuuni tämä levy. The Beatlesin ”Help”-cover oli ihan ok.
She obviously has a beautiful, soft, warm voice, and the couple of hits are very good tracks. But this isnt an album to hear before i die. Full of poor covers, minimal original songwriting and a lot of filler.
I really didn't like this album of MoR pop. I don't see this as anything particularly innovative or influential.
Mr Gouda was a cheesy number. I’m not a fan of ballads
This is a very sweet album, and I think there's plenty of room for me to grow into this. Is this album perfect? Fuck no. But it's still a beautiful listen and Karen Carpenter had a beautiful voice. I really enjoyed the cover of 'Help'. Otherwise there's not much else to unravel here. It's The Carpenters, everyone knows at least 2 of their songs - and usually they're from this record. Do yourself a favour though and look up the video of her performing "Dancing in the Street" though, where she shreds the living fuck out of those drums. I think The Carpenters should have been the world's first speed metal band. She could have been a founding member of Slayer!